SpaceX Sues Labor Board Over Employee Firings

SpaceX sued the U.S. government’s labor board a day after an official at the agency accused the company of violating a federal workplace law by firing employees who circulated a letter critical of Elon Musk.

Source: WSJ | Published on January 5, 2024

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SpaceX sued the U.S. government’s labor board a day after an official at the agency accused the company of violating a federal workplace law by firing employees who circulated a letter critical of Elon Musk.

The rocket company led by Musk alleged in a complaint filed in federal court Thursday that a suit brought by a director at the National Labor Relations Board is unconstitutional.

At issue is an effort in 2022 by some employees to get staff to sign on to a letter that described Musk’s public statements and behavior as embarrassing and distracting. Eight workers were fired.

SpaceX said in its lawsuit that the letter caused significant distractions for employees around the country and said the staffers who were fired violated multiple company policies.

The company didn’t respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the National Labor Relations Board declined to comment.

SpaceX has fired back at legal actions brought by the government before.

Last September, SpaceX sued the Justice Department, seeking to halt a hiring discrimination case the agency brought against the company. That complaint alleged the Justice Department’s case violated the Constitution because it would be heard in an administrative court.

In the NLRB matter, the company, which has more than 13,000 employees, is also taking issue with the dispute over the firings being dealt with through administrative proceedings.